Cross country: The true tests will come Saturday

Falmouth senior Ben Wyman circled Nov. 5 on his calendar months ago, not because of what he’ll be doing Saturday – running the Class A cross country meet at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast – but because that was his SAT test date.

It was, that is, until the Maine Principals’ Association pushed back the regional and state meets because of foul weather.

state meet schedule

The cross country state meet will be held on the 5-kilometer course at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast on Saturday afternoon. The schedule:

“I was really confused and distracted,” Wyman said of his initial reaction. “That was the first thing that came to my mind, that it was SAT weekend.”

To accommodate all the seniors and juniors planning to take college admission tests, the MPA condensed its six-race schedule and bumped all races to the afternoon, such that the Class B boys start the day at 1 p.m. and the Class A girls end it with a 3:55 p.m. start.

Some runners will take the SAT in Belfast on Saturday morning. Others will scoot to the course after filling in their ovals elsewhere.

“Our school is very lucky,” Wyman said. “Our guidance counselor organized a separate test date so we’ll take it Tuesday.”

So here, in honor of standardized tests, is our multiple-choice preview of Saturday’s state championships:

Q. Who is favored to win the Class B boys’ meet?

A. Freeport; B. Greely; C. Wells; D. Caribou.

Although Freeport is the two-time defending state champ, Greely dominated the Southern meet and the Falcons barely squeezed past Wells. Caribou cleaned up in the North but with slower times on a faster course.

Q. Who is favored to win the Class B girls’ meet?

A. Yarmouth; B. Greely; C. York; D. Mt. Desert Island.

The Rangers also get the nod here, although Greely’s top three of Katherine Leggat-Barr, Carolyn Todd and Kate Curran is matched by Yarmouth’s Abby Hamilton, Anneka Murrin and Grace Cowles. This race will come down to the 4-5 runners, and Chloe Smith and Chloe Waldrep had big finishing kicks to give Greely the South title at Twin Brook. Yarmouth’s Georgia Giese and Greta Elder hope to return the favor in Belfast for the defending champion Clippers.

Q. Will George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill become the first Class C boys’ team since North Yarmouth Academy in 2011 to repeat?

A. Yes; B. No; C. Maybe.

Prepare for a sixth different state champ. Orono crammed six runners among the top nine who scored in the North regional and ran, on average, about a minute faster per runner than South champ Maine Coast Waldorf did on the tougher Twin Brook course. Waynflete and Boothbay Region are dark horses.

“If everyone has a great race, we can at least make it close,” MCW Coach Morgan Lake Adams said. “But you know how difficult it is to take on a tight pack like (Orono’s).”

Q. Who might stand in the way of Orono winning a fourth straight Class C girls’ crown?

Although George Stevens edged Orono by a point for the North title, the Red Riots had faster average times and remain formidable. St. Dom’s dominated the South meet by placing four runners among the top seven.

Scarborough is the two-time defending champ and could contend if No. 2 runner Andrew Goodwin, ill at regionals, returns. North champ Mt. Blue is solid, and neither Hampden Academy nor Mt. Ararat can be ignored, but Falmouth, which won the Festival of Champions in Belfast a month ago, remains the team to beat.

“We know that course pretty well,” said Falmouth Coach Danny Paul. “And in a weird way, (the later start) is a good thing. For the Festival we leave at 7 a.m. Now we don’t have to leave until 11, so kids can sleep in. It’s a little more relaxing.”

Q. Which schools stand in the way of Falmouth in Class A girls?

A. Bonny Eagle; B. Brunswick; C. Massabesic; D. Mt. Ararat.

The Scots have won three of the last four Class A titles and had a better showing in the Festival, but Falmouth wasn’t at full strength. Brunswick ran away with the North but with times not significantly better in Belfast than those of Falmouth at Twin Brook.

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